Studies suggest diabetes self-tests are of little benefit

17/04/2008

Asking people with Type 2 diabetes to check their own blood sugar levels is a waste of time and resources, it has been claimed, with two trials which appear in the British Medical Journal reaching the same conclusion.

While one study found that depression, not better health, was the most notable result of self-testing, the other found that the practise, while costing £90 extra per patient per year, actually decreases quality of life.

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Researchers led by Dr Maurice O'Kane in Northern Ireland found that blood glucose control was not improved by self-monitoring compared to normal care, with those who self-monitored having a six per cent higher score for depression.

"What we can say is if people do not want to monitor there's no evidence their care will be inferior," Dr O'Kane commented, the BBC reports.

Meanwhile, the leader of the second survey, Dr Judit Simon, was able to conclude: "The current study shows routine self-monitoring is not cost-effective and there is a negative effect on quality of life for some people."

However, a spokesperson for the Department of Health said that self-monitoring had proven itself useful for some people as they attempt to manage their self-care.

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